A cruise ship and its crew saved six people stranded in the ocean near the Dominican Republic on Wednesday morning (13 December) after a cargo vessel capsized.

Carnival Vista sprung to action after the goods ship capsized overnight, with a search and rescue operation for six additional crew currently underway.

Vista’s officers, under the direction of captain Paolo Severini, immediately altered the ship’s course in coordination with Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami when an onboard monitoring system received an emergency alert.

The ship’s officers then spotted six men on a life raft and stopped to rescue them and bring them on board.

Carnival Cruise Line to continue Vista itinerary

The Carnival team informed coast guard officials in the Dominican Republic about the additional missing crew members. Officials then launched a search for the remaining crew members and advised Vista to return to its route.

The vessel will visit Amber Cove on Tuesday (13 December) as scheduled. The ship, which is homeported in Port Canaveral, is currently sailing a six-day itinerary that departed Sunday.

Earlier this year, P&O Cruises’ Iona joined efforts to rescue several people stranded in the North Sea after two cargo vessels collided.

British-flagged cargo ship Verity sunk after colliding with bulk carrier Polesie roughly 14 miles southwest of the German island Helgoland. Iona, which was sailing a seven-day round trip Northern European City Escapes cruise from Southampton, diverted its course to join the rescue efforts after several people were reported missing.